The present invention relates to a system for modifying a table, wherein the table contains one or more columns and one or more lines containing data, wherein the columns and the lines are related to one or more first categories, respectively, and wherein at least one of said first categories is divided into one or more sub-categories.
An example of such table is shown in FIG. 1, the data of which are turnover numbers obtained with certain products. As outlined in FIG. 1 the table comprises a number of columns as well as a number of lines. In the example shown in FIG. 1 the columns comprise two first categories, namely the sales personnel (“sales force I” and “sales force II”) and the lines comprise four first categories, namely the sales area (“south”, “north”, “east”, “west”).
As further shown in FIG. 1 each of the first categories is sub-divided in sub-categories. The first categories (“south”, “north”, “east”, “west”) of the lines are each subdivided in four sub-categories relating to the kind of products (all products, luxury products, special products, standard products) and the first categories (“sales group I” and “sales group II”) of the columns are each sub-divided in three first sub-categories, respectively, relating to the kind of values (“actual”, “Aplan” and “zplan %”). Each of the first sub-categories of the columns is further sub-divided into two second sub-categories relating to the accumulation of values (“not cum.” and “cum.”).
The table shown in FIG. 1 thus comprises two hierarchies of the lines and three hierarchies of the columns.
The table shown in FIG. 1 contains a lot of information relating to the turnover values of certain products depending on different parameters, however, unveils the disadvantage that it might become difficult to maintain an overview and to make a quick assessment of the data contained in the table, especially in case of a high number of data. In order to increase the legibility of the table it is possible to draw lines between the lines and columns or to highlight several data.
However, this method is cumbersome. It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a system for modifying a table which is easy to handle and which remarkably increases the legibility of the table even if a high number of data is contained in the table.